Tuesday, July 31, 2007

I showed up to track practice none too happy after Day 2 of the "Narcissist's Guide to Health for Educators" also known as my 8 hour, torturous, stupid credential class. But track went pretty well.

Practice Schedule:

3/4 mi warm up

5-800 yd (2 laps, five times with a 2 minutes rest in between) at comfortably hard pace. They said that this should be a tough effort, but you want to maintain consistent times. Here are mine (min:sec):

1st 800 5:13

2nd 800 5:12

3rd 800 4:51

4th 800 4:51

5th 800 4:47

My run buddy twisted her ankle on our 12 mile run so; she only ran the first two sets and then rested. I hope it wasn’t too soon for her to run. We are supposed to do a hill workout on Thursday, but I am not so sure that is a good idea for her. We’ll see.

Food wise I have been pretty good the last 2 days because I am trapped in this class, but I am finding motivation difficult and I am feeling a little down about it because I don’t feel like I am making good progress. I have WI on Friday hopefully I will see a loss this time and get fired up again.

Monday, July 30, 2007

1. I spent the whole d*mn day trapped in a required Health class taught by a megalomaniac that droned on and on for the entire8 hours about all of the wonderful things she has done for children over her 30 year career...blah, blah, blah!

2. Tried to stab self in eye with pencil to escape megalomaniac diatribe, but it was out of lead. I, unfortunately, survived to hear about her various awards and committee nominations. Note to self: Get lead before tomorrow's class!

3. One of my best friends and run buddies moved to LA today. She was continuously surrounded by her other friends, so I didn't even really get to say goodbye and now she is gone.

4. I am sore and tired from the 12 mile run yesterday. "Oh", you might say, "It is a good sore and tired!" in a chipper, Positive Polly voice. BS, there is no good sore and tired...*grumble*

5. 1200 calories is NOT enough food! I think I am actually starving, it is just my butt that is all distended instead of my abdomen.

6. I did not cross train today because of all of the above. Not one good reason in the bunch, but there it is.

7. I can't think of anymore reasons, so that is a sucky thing too because what good “Top 10” rant list ends at 7?!

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Alright, I redeemed myself today. My run buddy and I went to Half Moon Bay and ran 12 miles! I ran all 12 and she has a run/walk program that she does, but we did it! I feel so much better. The last mile of these long runs is torture, but after putting in 11 miles who wants to quit? So I slogged through the last mile and then waited in the car for my friend with ice bags on my knees.

Some of thoughts on exercise success:

1. Get a run/exercise buddy. It gives you accountability when you want to bail on exercising, it makes exercise more fun, you can motivate each other when someone is having a bad day

2. Choose an exercise that you enjoy or think you might enjoy and then give yourself a break if you are not immediately (or in my case, ever) good at it. If you like it, keep it up if not try something else.

3. Build your miles/minutes/intensity SLOWLY. If you are tortured every time you won't continue to exercise.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

I was supposed to run 12 miles today. Note: I said supposed to run 12 miles today. I woke up early, crabby and feeling very achy. We got out to the run site and it was cold and foggy, more crabbiness. We started the run, much more crabbiness. After about a quarter mile my legs started feeling better, but my stomach started feeling bad. By mile two I was in abject pain and at 2.6 miles I had to stop.

It was/is depressing. I can usually run through it, but my stomach had me doubled over in pain and I knew I was not going to make the 12 mile run. My friends stopped with me, which is sweet and supportive and all, but made me feel like an a**. Not only had I ruined my run, I had now ruined their run as well. To top it off we had to walk back to my car while all the other runners came by on the trail and asked if we were ok. It was the ultimate "walk of shame."

I think my tummy was not happy from the traveling and the new Camel Back hydration belt I was trying out pulled on my stomach in a way that made it worse. Afterwards we went to get food and it took every ounce of, I hate to say will power, but whatever, to not order mozzarella sticks and berry pie for breakfast. I always get the "screw it"s when I have a set back. I am really grateful for my friends because they are supportive of me no matter what and helped me feel better without stuffing my face. I had a small bowl of oatmeal and some strawberries. Not a perfect breakfast/lunch, but better than mozzarella sticks and pie.

We are going to try again for the 12 mile run tomorrow. The TNT marathon training is quick and if I get behind in mileage I won't be able to catch up. I am feeling crappy and I am going to go take a nap before I eat something I will regret.

Well, I am back from my five day vacation in Seattle. It was fun, but a little hectic. I tried to keep up with my training and JC goals. Here is a summary (sorry my posts are way too long) and some cool Seattle links.

Let’s start with the training:

Sunday(day we left): I ran 3 miles on the morning. It was scheduled as a rest or easy run day, so I felt pretty good about that.

Monday, cross training day:Only exercise was walking around Northwest Trek (highly rec. destination of you ever go to Washington. I’ll post a link to hubby’s pictures when he gets them up.)

Tuesday, I was a big chicken about running outside in the city so I decided to try out the treadmill. This was my first experience on a treadmill and I am not what anyone would call “super coordinated”, but I managed to run 3 miles without serious injury to myself or others. Then I did some pilates-style (this is what I have heard I honestly have no idea what pilates is) strength exercises that the TNT coaches recommend. In summary, the exercises are embarrassing looking and I HATE doing them in public, but I sucked it up and did them.

Wednesday, cross-training day: I ran 30 minutes on the treadmill (a whopping 1.5 miles. I new low even for my slow-a**. I am not sure how that happened, but it is what the stupid computer-thing said so I decided not to lie about it) and then 20 minutes on the stationary bike (the world’s stupidest and most boring invention ever!) and finished with a truncated strength training session because other people came in and I felt lame. Overall, a big fat reminder of why I do not belong to or go to a gym!

Went to the Woodland Park Zoo. Awesome! WAY too many children, but very nice exhibits

Thursday, longish run day: I got up at 5:15 in the morning so I would not have to see other people in the workout room. It worked! I ran 5 miles on the treadmill. I had to reset the stupid thing because it only lets you run for an hour and it took me longer than that to run the five. I was also dying without water because, while I mastered how to continue running on a seemingly stationary object I certainly was not skilled enough to drink water and do this. I was too embarrassed to wear my hydration belt on the treadmill for fear some one would come in and see me. So I guess I deserved to be thirsty. I had one guy that kept coming in at the end to see if I was done, but instead of being a wimp and getting off the machine because I felt like I was taking too long I finished my run (small personal victory, but I will take it!)

Jenny Craig update:

I ate pretty well the whole trip. I chose small portioned meals with less starches (carb-os are my BIG weakness) Mostly grilled fish (expensive, but low fat and yummy! I only seem to like expensive fish) or grilled chicken salads with light dressings on the side. Wednesday was my b-day and we ate on top of the Space Needle (good food, SUPER expensive, AWESOME view, must do once, but wouldn’t go again because of price) I was full and tired so no cake, which I was a little pouty about. However, I made up for it on Thursday with berry shortcake after lunch, then HUGE Japanese dinner followed by b-day cake (very cool surprise) with the in-laws. Overall, at WI today I was up 0.4. Bummer, but I just got off a plane an hour before and it was vacation, so….whatever!

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Today I ran 6 miles with a new friend. It was great. I have to be honest; I have a really hard time meeting new people especially when it involves areas that I feel self-conscious about (e.g. exercising!) I have this annoying habit of been extremely self-deprecating when I am nervous, so I kept blabbing on and on about being slow and out of shape. I am sure he considered shoving me off the trail, but after I calmed down I think it went pretty well. We ran at a fast pace for me (11’ 40”/mile) and I was able to complete the run and keep up my end of the conversation all the while.

I had a bad run on Thursday. I woke up late, missed the run start for TNT, missed breakfast and tried to stuff a banana in my mouth minutes before starting to run. As would be expected, after running for about half an hour with a seemingly 5lb., lead banana in my stomach, I ran out of energy and bonked on the run. I was able to keep running with the help of a Gu packet, but I got all “sparkly” feeling and weaved my way to a very unimpressive (and downright cranky) finish to my five mile run. After that all-star performance, it was nice to have my next run be a good one.

I tend to be very fatalistic when it comes to my running. I always think that one bad run must mean that I am not fit enough to complete this training and will never have a good run again. Blah, blah, blah…. Old tapes that run in my head!

Anyhoo..

I am leaving for Seattle tomorrow for a 5 day vacation and I am concerned about my training for this week and my JC. I obviously can’t take all my JC food, so I am going to be on my own and historically this has not been good for me. I have my weigh in about 2 hours after my flight arrives on Friday so we will see how it goes.

Today is a rest day in the training so since I started the blog midway into this journey here is a summary of what I have done so far:

Jenny Craig Summary:

Starting weight: 154.2Current Weight: 141.2Total wt. lost: 13 lbs

Weight loss Goals:

My goal weight is 130 lbs. I see other girls my height whose goal weight is 120 (or below. Yikes!) but I know I cannot maintain that weight. My true goal is to stay in the 130's. I don't want to have to get as big and as unhappy as I was this spring in order to take control again, but I am a round girl, and I am ok being a little round.

Team in Training Summary:

I started running again this April after a long hiatus due to sloth and apathy.

Total miles logged since April: 121.5 milesLongest continuous run since April: 10 miles (done 7/16)Overall Ave. Pace (minutes/mile): a blistering 13' 30"

Training Goals:

Mileage: 22 continuous run miles before Nike Woman's Marathon in October

Friday, July 20, 2007

I started this blog to help motivate me, through possible public humiliation, to continue with my weight loss goals and in my training for the Nike Woman's Marathon this October. I intend to chronicle my experience to the seemingly impossible 26.2 mile run.

My goal for the marathon is two-fold:

1. To run the entire 26.2 mile course. No matter how slow!2. Not die

To understand my journey, I guess you must know a little about where I am coming from. I am a recovering addict with 16 years clean and sober. I spent years in my disease on a couch, loaded, waiting to die. Sounds a little melodramatic, even to me, but that is how it was. I was also a two pack a day smoker until 13 years ago. In addition, I have always carried around at least 25 extra pounds and once vehemently defended the underappreciated virtues of Pop Tarts as a dinner entrée.

Even after I got clean and quit smoking, I found work and school to focus on. In true addictive-personality style, work and school were ALL I did. I moved from one couch to another. I would come home from work and crash in front of the TV exhausted from a 14,16, or even 18 hour day. When my boyfriend (now husband) would nag at me about my sedentary lifestyle I would exclaim “I am too tired to exercise”, “I don’t have time to exercise”, or my favorite passive-aggressive tactic, “Boy, it would be nice to have all the extra time you do to go to the gym.”

To make a long story a little shorter, I got sick and didn’t want my final epitaph to read, “She didn’t have any hobbies or outside interests, but boy, that girl could work!” I needed to find something to do and I had played sports in high school, but that was 18 years ago! I hadn’t done ANYTHING since. So I decided that the most realistic goal was a triathlon.

Yup, in my infinite, Pop Tart eating wisdom, I decided to do a triathlon.Thank God for the people at Team in Training or I would have surely drown in the ocean swim, been run down by real cyclists on the bike course, or had a heart attack on the run course. Thanks to their training and guidance, I completed my first Olympic distance triathlon (0.9 mi swim, 24.6 mi bike, and 6.2 mi run) in September, 2005. I have since done another Olympic distance triathlon and one half marathon (13.1 mi.)

Now I want to complete the ultimate event on my “Stacey’s Dream World Goal List”: a full marathon.I also want to drop those 25 pounds that have haunted me since high school. (Mostly because I don’t want to drag anymore ‘stacey’ along the 26.2 mile course than I absolutely have to!) To help me accomplish these goals I have enlisted the help of two important groups: Team in Training and Jenny Craig!

About Me

Running the the 6.2 mile run of my first triathlon, I thought I was surely going to die. I am a not an athlete. What the hell am I doing out here? These are crazy 'fit people'. I am not one of them. I am the girl that drives 2 blocks to the convenience store to get a Hostess pie.
Just as I thought, "Screw this! I need to walk again" I looked into the crowd and saw a girl holding a sign that said 'Run Bitch Run' and I laughed. I was running AND laughing. Hmmm, maybe these are my people after all. And so I did. I ran, bitch, I ran.